The Necromancer

By

Neztro

Chapter 4: A warning.

I stomped through the halls, the bell had just rung and I was livid.

"stupid ghost, dumb move, nearly exposed our operation to the whole town… idiot!" scratch how can even he be this stupid.

Not only did he possess a student to help that stupid girl… he did it by possessing andrea of all people. The idiot has opened a can of worm that I will have a terrible time closing again. He just made my job a hundred times harder… gah!

I exit the school as the mass of students skirt past me. They say nothing as is expected of them and head to their homes… with their families.

A twinge of sadness enters my mind as I think of what awaits me at home… barely sapient toys. My fists clench at my side, my depression can wait until after I kill that don't ghost.

I stomp down from the stairs and notice scratch talking with her, that stupid girl. I knew she was going to be trouble the moment I set eyes upon her.

They were laughing with each other or at least she was. Scratch seemed to be annoyed.

I clear my throat to get their attention.

"Oh hey it's you, jean right?" Molly asked sticking her hand out. "I was the one sitting next to libby. Pretty cool for andrea to just forgive her for getting her name wrong."

As much as I hated how annoying andrea got when people said her name wrong it wasn't any concern of mine. In fact it made my job easier and thus I allowed her to do it. But stuff like scratch just did, it makes my job exceedingly difficult.

"Molly, may I speak with scratch… alone." there is an edge to my voice and even someone as dense as molly mcgee can understand that I am not in a good mood.

"Oh course, he told me you guys were business partners… I don't know what business a ghost or a teenager could run but it's so great scratch has another friend and maybe we can all be friends."

I breath heavily, how can she be this dumb… no human is this stupid… well I wouldn't say that.

Molly begins shooting finger guns at scratch. "see you at home bestie." she then walks off and I turn my head to scratch who was eating a granola bar.

"what?" he asks with his mouth full.

"what? What were you thinking!?" I shot loud enough for the neighborhood to hear. My aura began extending a feeling of dread inhabited any living creature within one hundred twenty feet of me and even the plants began to wilt.

"don't get your knickers in a twist, I don't even know why your mad." Scratch began to float slowly away from me knowing when I get angry my powers react purely on instinct instead of the cold thought I am used to.

"you possessed andrea! What do you think I'm mad about!?" I grabbed the ghost and pulled him to my face. "do you have any idea how much danger you put us in?"

"what's the big deal, it's not like I went out in ghost form, all I did was a little possession." scratch defended himself slowly floating back.

"Yes, you did some possession… on the one person who can blow a hole in our operation. Scratch you have got to be one of the stupidiest ghosts in the world… bar none." I take in a couple of breaths and when that didn't work I fumbled for a cigarette.

It took a couple minutes but I manage to fish my lighter out of my pocket and with a shaking hand I light my cigarette and inhale.

It's gone, my fury, my anger, and everything that adds stress to my life… for just a few minutes it's all gone.

"why did you do it?"

"what do you mean?"

"why did you possess andrea?"

Scratch began to shake and this time I could sense anger and agitation. "she was picking on molly mcgee… that's my job!"

"Ah yes, the curse. I've already told you that there is nothing I can do… so now you're looking to hurt a human and have made yourself a rival."

"you're right and I plant o do all I can to make her leave so I can break the curse."

"scratch… you can't just possess someone willy-nilly, especially not andrea." I try to keep my tone calm but talking with this ghost raises my blood pressure by the second.

"why not, you don't care about her. She's just a pawn." he was getting defensive and my cigarette was done… and I didn't want to waste another unless I had too.

"andrea is indeed a shallow and pretension ditz but I can't allow you to alienate her from me."

"why? Is it because she's your girlfriend? Muah, muah, mu–" I grab scratches lip and pull him close.

"It's not that." I release him and then turn away. "I need a useful second in command and she fits the bill. Now, because of you, I need to do damage control."

"you're overreacting, it's not like she knows that ghosts are real?" scratch replied confidently chuckling.

"she does scratch." I say in reponse and I take a small bit of pleasure in his fearful pause.

"what!?" he exclaims turning into a monstrous version of himself which would have scared me if I wasn't trained on how ghosts do what they do.

"I told her myself, I had to in order to avoid future complications." I pull out a cigarette, light it, and inhale.

"Oh cripes, if the ghost council found out a I jeopardize their secret… they'll… jean you're going to help me out right?"

"I won't tell them about this incident and I'll make sure andrea doesn't either but be more careful in the future and when you possess someone don't do it in front of a crowd filled with smartphones."

I scold scratch but his tension seems to be gone.

"I promise I will never do anything that stupid ever again." scratch promises.

"you better not scratch… because next time it could be the cyclone for you."

The ghost gulps then flies off toward his house. I have that effect on people. I decide to take the long way home… my homunculus are still working and they have the nightshift again. Which means I'll be home alone… again.

Just how I like it.